Perth Amboy Man Led Fentanyl Ring, Raided By DEA This Week: Feds

PERTH AMBOY, NJ — A Perth Amboy man was charged this week with leading a fentanyl drug-trafficking ring that primarily operated in Union County, said U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger.

Lance Baker, 54, of Perth Amboy was charged along with seven other men, from Linden, Roselle, Elizabeth, the Bronx and Pennsylvania.

This week, federal agents announced they have been quietly monitoring the ring since July of 2022 and observed "dozens of narcotics transactions" during their investigation.

From July 2022 to March 2023, police seized more than 9,000 individual doses of fentanyl sold by the ring.

The sting culminated this Tuesday, March 21, when federal agents raided the ring's drug mill in the Bronx. There, they recovered approximately 10 kilograms of suspected fentanyl.

In addition to the Perth Amboy man, charged are:

• Rooks Crawford, 57, of Linden
• Derrick Gilliam, 48, of Alburtis, Pennsylvania
• Abinader Liriano-Balbuena, 37, of the Bronx
• Michael Williams, 54, of Roselle
• Tyrone Gilliam, 60, Lewis Martinez-Berroa, 38, and Earl Riley, 58, all of Elizabeth

All are charged with one count of conspiracy to distributed controlled substances.

ATF agents and the DEA led the case, plus members of the U.S. Secret Service, and detectives from Union County Prosecutor William Daniel and Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

Police in the following towns helped with the investigation, meaning there was a connection to these towns: Linden, Scotch Plains, Perth Amboy, Elizabeth and Summit.